Last.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i FREDERICK W'. KITTLINGER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,606, dated October1, 1901.

Application filed February '7, 1901. Serial No. 46,333. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it muy concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK W. KITT- LINGER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lasts,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to lasts made in separable part-s, and hasfor its main object the provision of means whereby the parts are firmlylocked together against relative motion in use as a last and permittingof the ready separation of said parts whenever it is desired to draw thelast out of the shoe or boot.

To this and other ends the invention consists of features ofconstruction, details, arrangements, and combinations of deviceshereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustratedin the accompanyingdrawings, forming part Aof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly in section along the central vertical plane ofthe last, of a last in which the invention is embodied; and Fig. 2 is aplan, partly in scction, of the same.

In the drawings the reference-letter a indicates a sole or lowersection, and b an upper or instep section, of the last, the uppersurface of section a aud the lower surface of section fittingagainsteach other, as shown. The section a, is provided with a verticalcentrallylocated longitudinal slot c, so placed as to be covered bysection b. Immediately in rear of and overhanging or overlying part ofslot c is a keeper, which is conveniently formed of a button d, whoseshank is driven into the section a. This button d is preferably roundedon top and by preference is beveled or undercut underneath for a purposepresently to appear. The keeper may be fiush with or project above thesurface at the top side of the section a, or it may be otherwisearranged or constructed. The section b is slotted for a distance alongits central vertical longitudinal plane, as indicated ate, and isrecessed atfto receive or fit over the button d. The recess .f is alsoextended upwardly into section b for a purpose presently to appear. Theslots c fe lie in the same planein. the assembled last. A catch g litsin section b in slot c, being held in place by a pivot-pin h. Theworking end i of the catch is so located that its dat working face Xengages with the bevel or undercut edge of the keeper, surface againstsurface. A spring la is placed in recess f behind the catch g andpresses the catch into engagement with the button or keeper, as aboveset forth. The catch g is prolonged above the pivot h and is shaped tocoact with the bottom of the slot e for the purpose of retaining the endz' in position to coact with the rounded-off top of the button d, whichpresses the catch toward the toe of the last as the parts are assembled,the catch ultimately snapping under the button or keeper as the sectionb moves into place upon section a.

The section b may be held against motion forwardly and transversely ofthe last by any suitable means-as, for example, the means shown in thedrawings. Thus the front end of the section b may be so held-by formingit with a V shape at Z, iitting under an undercut counterpart on thesection a, while the catch g and slot c or the recess fand button d, orboth, may be used to prevent lateral motion of the rear end of sectionb. The described last forms a rigid structure over .are avoided. Bypressing on the catch g at a point above the pivot 7a it may be movedbackward, thus moving the working end t' toward the toe of the last anddisengaging it from the keeper, after which the section b may be removedfrom the boot or shoe by an upward and backward pull on the section.Section a may be withdrawn thereafter in the usual manner.

It is preferable that all parts of catch g except end li be whollywithin the section h. In such a case the section b is provided with atransverse perforation m just in rear of the front edge of the catchg-that is, the catch g projects so far into the hole m, which crossesslot e, that the hook usually employed by workmen for drawing out lastswhen it is inserted in hole m engages with the front edge of the catch gand moves the end i forwardly or toward the toe of the last so far as todisengage it from under the keeper, after which an upward and rearwardpull on the hook draws out the section b, or the hook may so move theend 'L' that some force will still be required to disengage the end ifrom the keeper as the section b is drawn ont, or the .catch may bewholly disengaged from the keeper by the hook and the Walls of the re'-cess f t down about the button closely, so that section b must be liftedsomewhat as it is Withdrawn from the shoe or boot, so as to pass overthe button, or the button may be ush with the surface of the top side ofthe section a, and in such case the catch and slot c do the Work ofpreventing lateral motion of the rear of section b.

The invention may be embodied in forms other than that illustrated inthe drawings and above described Without departing from the spirit of myinvention. I do not therefore limit my claims to the precise form of theinvention shown in the drawings and above described.

Vihat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. The combination of a sole-section ct, an instep-section b, arounded-off circular button d secured to and projecting above the topside of the section a, said section ct having a recess or slot c forwardof and below the button d, a recess in section b adapted to t closelyaround the button d, a catch g pivoted to section b and adapted to enterslot c and engage under the button CZ, and a spring in said recess insection b for actuating the catch g, substantially as described.

2. Inv a last, the combination of sole and instep sections ct b, arounded top button d on .and projecting above the top side of sectionct, said section n', having a slot forward of and under the button, acatch g in a slot in section b and having a working end t' projectingbelow section b, a pin connecting catch g and section b and said sectionb having a recess which fits closely over the button d, a spring in saidrecess behind the catch and acting thereon, a transverse perforation inthe section b into which the upper end of catch g projects, and meansfor preventing the forward end of section b from moving laterally,substantially as described. Signed at-New York city, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, this 6th day of February, A. D. 1901.

FREDERICK XV. KI'FTLINGER.

Witnesses:

GUS. C. HENNING, R. W. BARKLEY.

